One week after the 7.0 earthquake brought the capital city of Haiti to rubble, the Caribbean island is still enduring daily aftershocks throughout the country.  The intensity of the quake has shattered the already embattled infrastructure of not only Port-au-Prince, but also Grand Goave, Petionville, Delmas, Croix des Bouquets, Leogane, Carrefour and Cite Soleil, among other areas.

More than 50,000 Haitians have reportedly died, though on the ground this number is feared to be a very low estimate, with some projecting nearly one-third of the 9.7 million people that populated the country.  Food is scarce, clean potable water is even more.  Destruction to the airport and port has slowed the process of the badly needed aid resources and personnel entering the country; crumbled roads have hindered them from reaching the people in a timely manner.

With a police force dwindled from 4,000 to an estimated 1,500 and more than 4,000 prisoners rejoining the population after the National Penitentiary collapsed in the quake, looting, raping and killing is escalating. The resilient Haitian population struggles to survive in vulnerable tent cities while awaiting food, water, medical attention and other basic necessities to sustain them through this dark hour.

Priority items requested from our partners on the ground working with the Haitian mayors are:

Water

Blankets

Personal Hygiene Products (toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, sanitary napkins, etc.)

First Aid Items (painkillers, bandages, gauze, antiseptic, alcohol, etc.)

Your donation of these items may be shipped to the following address:

The City of Homestead & Florida City Relief and Recovery Center

790 North Homestead Blvd.

Homestead, FL 33030

ATTN: NCBM Haitian Relief Effort

The Center may be reached via telephone at (305) 242-2400.   Please direct questions about the NCBM Haiti Relief Effort to haitirelief@ncbm.org.

Haitians wash themselves in a public fountain near the Haitian National Palace in Port au Prince, Haiti on January 12. (UN Photo: Marco Dormino)

Donate to the WCM Haitian Disaster Relief Fund

Checks or Money Orders may be mailed to:

National Conference of Black Mayors Headquarters

Centennial Tower

101 Marietta Street, Suite 3410

Atlanta, GA 30303

Payable to: World Conference of Mayors Haiti Relief Fund

 DOWNLOAD wcm-haitian-disaster-relief-fund-donation-form-12110

A Haitian boy receives treatment at an ad hoc medical clinic at MINUSTAH's logistics base in Port au Prince, Haiti January 12. (UN Photo/Logan Abassi)

The National Conference of Black Mayors, in conjunction with the World Conference of Mayors and the National Leadership Conference of Haitian Mayors, has mobilized its global network to coordinate relief efforts directly to the people of Haiti through the mayors of Haitian communities.    

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The National Conference of Black Mayors sends its prayers to the people of Haiti and the Haitian American community during this time of catastrophic devastation and loss.  NCBM will be coordinating its relief efforts in conjunction with the World Conference of Mayors and the National Leadership Conference of Haitian Mayors. NCBM has mobilized its Member Mayors and Business Council to assist in the U.S. rescue and humanitarian relief efforts. Efforts will include shipments of water, rice, blankets, first aid items, and refurbished machinery to facilitate debris removal.

Learn more about the NCBM Relief Effort to Haiti

A joint emergency conference call was convened Jan. 13 by the World Conference of Mayors, National Conference of Black Mayors and the NCBM Business Council.

Below is a synopsis of the plan of action of WCM/NCBM, in conjunction with the National Leadership Conference of Haitian Mayors, to assist in the relief effort to the people of Haiti.

1. NCBM will be receiving monetary donations through the Haitian Disaster Relief Fund.

2.  NCBM Member Mayors are to begin the collection of priority relief items in their respective city halls, in an effort to form a collective shipment to Haiti. Two warehouses have been donated in Florida City, Fla. to store all items donated through NCBM which will be delivered to Haiti.

3.  NCBM Business Council Members are mobilizing their resources for donations. United Water will be coordinating efforts for a donation of bottled water; John Deere will be exploring options for donating refurbished equipment for debris removal; and Mars Corporation (Uncle Ben’s) will be coordinating a donation of rice through the NCBM Disaster Relief Fund.

4.  NCBM National Partners, such as the National Medical Association, National Nurses Association and Black Contractors Association, have discussed with NCBM the formation of a relief team of medical professionals to provide physical and mental health assistance to the people of Haiti.

5.  A Joint Letter to President Obama from the National Conference of Black Mayors and World Conference of Mayors will be submitted to advise the Administration of our efforts and our ability to assist our President in the U.S. relief efforts to the people of Haiti.

DOWNLOAD NCBM Haiti Disaster Relief Priority Needs List

The National Conference of Black Mayors is pleased to present to you our newest publication, Groundwork magazine. 

City halls stand at the heart of American cities and mayors are essential to the national dialogue, the determination of solutions and effective implementation of federal policies. Groundwork provides a platform for the voices of our member mayors and partners in the public and private sectors on the vital issues that prevail in every community. As an organization, NCBM has been a hidden pillar, supporting and reinforcing the work of mayors across the country since 1974. 

Through the extraordinary vision of NCBM Executive Director Vanessa R. Williams, the integral non-profit organization of NCBM has been transformed into an international institution. Whether NCBM member mayors represent populations of 2,000 or 2 million, mayors have now become beacons of light and ambassadors of hope for foreign governments facing vulnerable populations, developing economies and embattled infrastructures.

Our mayors’ work and care will come alive throughout the pages of Groundwork.

DOWNLOAD 2010 Groundwork Magazine Media Kit

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